One Saturday afternoon, Fiona and her sister Elaine arrived at Ivory & Pearl after seeing a wedding dress online. She arrived at the boutique and put on “thee” dress .. Lewis by Alexandra Grecco and it was absolutely stunning! This dress is honestly so beautiful in it’s simplicity! She added beautiful earrings and a @whatkadydidnext veil – it was so perfect! It’s Elaine’s turn next as she gets married next year!!!

Being self employed is one of the funniest, craziest journeys I have ever been on! The places I’ve been, the people I’ve met! My poor mum, the journeys I’ve made her go on, the walking, the travelling, the long, long days! Most people go to NYC and say all the fun things they did – not my poor mum and I, we got up at 5am and worked until 9pm. The highlight of our trip was watching The Girl on the Train at the VIP cinema – and a little shopping of course! Next time we’ll take it slower! The last five years have been a blur, but at my second ever bridal fair I had all my dresses in Malone House and started talking to the girl at the stand beside me. I said I had just opened but I had been in Avoca and loved a floral display they had and would love to replicate it in my boutique. Low and behold, that girl was called Sharon from Innocent Chaos and she had made that floral display in Avoca when she worked as their merchandiser (and then still did!!) I asked her quickly if she could come into my boutique and do the same thing and she did and honestly it really makes my boutique look amazing!!! A couple of years ago she left Avoca and went into Innocent Chaos full time, so every so often she comes along to the boutique to take pics of her new collection. This year I think is my favourite.. it’s absolutely stunning! If you’re looking for a floral crown or bouquet she is your woman! Check out these pics… the beautiful Lauren is in a selection of dresses by Catherine Deane, Anna Campbell, Claire Pettibone and Sarah Seven.

The beautiful Aimee flew over from France to find the “one”, originally from Whitehead it was a nice excuse to meet up with all her family and friends. Aimee and her mum own a beauticians in France, and for me that conjures up all sorts of lovely images. Aimee did all of her research online .. my kind of bride and came with a clear idea in her head.. and first shop, first appointment the dress was bought.

Aimee also gave up smoking about 6 months before her wedding.. and how amazing does she look as well as kicking the habit.. it was worth it Aimee.. you look amazing!

Aimee says:

“Hi Kate,

I have attached some pictures of my magical wedding day in France. Everything was perfect, the sun was shining, about 29°, not too hot just right. I felt absolutely beautiful in my gorgeous dress which fitted me perfectly ! Thank you for helping me find the most incredible dress!

Today, we wanted to showcase one of our friends in the bridal industry, the lovely Sharon at Innocent Chaos! Before I opened Ivory & Pearl, I was in Avoca and they had this beautiful floral display above the shelves and I took a photograph and said to myself if I ever own a shop, I would like this kind of display! Roll on approx 2 years, and I had the shop but no display, but then at my third ever bridal fair.. who did I meet? Yes, Sharon. And what was her (then) job? Merchandising at Avoca. And yes you’ve guessed it she created the amazing floral display in Avoca, and a couple of months later I roped her into doing the floral display at Ivory & Pearl, and it is amazing!!! She is so talented, and sometimes I don’t think she realises how talented she actually is! I really enjoy chatting to her and seeing what else she has created. She can turn her hand to anything, so if you have big ideas, she’s one lady to go to!

I can’t start my day without an earl grey tea. I drive a multi-coloured van covered in flowers, as you do! My guilty pleasure is Daniel O’Donnell (not his music; just him as a person).

I used to be a visual merchandiser so I have a constant urge to decorate my house and make it Pinterest-worthy. Current project; urban jungle bedroom.

I take a lot of my inspiration from my childhood growing up in the country, although I love the hustle and bustle of living in the city now. There’s nothing better than sitting in my garden with a glass of red (obviously), dreaming up new ideas and planning my next adventure.

What do you do and how did you end up there?

In such a competitive market, Innocent Chaos caters to brides that want something different, something they can keep long after their special day and something that really expresses their bridal style. We’ve been designing and creating luxury bridal accessories, festival headwear and bespoke jewellery in our cosy Belfast studio for nine years now.

After graduating with a First Class Honours in Fine and Applied Art with Textiles from the University of Ulster, I took the vision of being my own boss, working my own hours and having free creative reign to design a collection I could be proud of. In 2009, Innocent Chaos was selling in one shop in Belfast but decided to hit the road for the global market. Exhibiting at international trade fair, Top Drawer, Innocent Chaos quickly evolved overnight and all of a sudden, was selling to 65 shops worldwide including a boutique in Tokyo, the USA and many retailers across the UK. At the time they specialised in high street fashion jewellery, but now Innocent Chaos designs focus on the luxury bridal market.

What do you love most about your job?

I love waking up in the morning knowing that my day is going to be spent making beautiful accessories and creating a special part of someone’s wedding. Being my own boss has always been my dream so working at my own pace in my design studio is the perfect balance of creativity and freedom.

Would you recommend anywhere for brides to look for inspiration?

Pinterest is always number one for bridal inspiration; however, it can be an overwhelming platform for a newly engaged bride to venture onto. So why not check out Inspire magazine and Rock N Roll Bride for up-to-date trends.

What’s the best piece of advice you could give for brides on their wedding day?

Keep your wedding your own unique style and try not to mould yourself into other people’s traditional expectations. Stand your ground, remember it’s yours and your partners big day. Do what’s right for you! And don’t forget to have fun. Planning your wedding should be a special experience!

For top tips on not taking it all too seriously, check out Confetti Girls Youtube channel!

So the one night my daughter goes to bed at a normal bed time and my hubby wants an early night, I forget to bring my laptop home .. as I can always do some work! Apparently there’s a saying called ‘chill out’ but I’m just not very good at it!! I get so bored so quickly, but to be honest the weather is so bad at the moment I don’t want to step out my front door! Having a one and a half year old changes everything, getting showered, breakkie and out the door is a job in itself – never mind emptying the dish washer, hoovering and general tidying! Being a mum and a business owner, is always going to be busy! So I am extra prepared this Christmas – we have lots and lots of brides booked in for alterations for the New Year. My poor dress maker is getting some much needed rest before her absolutely crazy season starts again!

We have lots organised for the New Year. We have a big sample sale organised for the first weekend in February and lots of Designer Weekends already booked in (details below). And we will be continuing to add to Willow & Thread! I CANNOT wait to meet Baby Number 2, but I CANNOT wait to fit normal clothes again so I can wear the clothes from Willow & Thread!!!

Sample Sale

One date not to be missed if you want a bargain, is the Collaborative Sample Sale that we do every year with six other bridal boutiques! We will have hundreds of wedding dresses from as little as £100, as well as accessories, veils and brooch bouquets. It’ll be at Malone Lodge Hotel – keep your eye on our Facebook Page for more details.

7th February 2016

Designer Weekends

Sally Eagle : a beautiful American designer, who we will have in the boutique for a very limited time! This will be her first time in Ireland, so get an appointment quick.22nd – 24th January 2016

Anna Campbell THE GOSSAMER COLLECTION : yes you read that right, we have the beautiful Anna Campbell Gossamer Collection in the boutique for one weekend only! We get soo many e-mails about this collection, we just can’t wait until this weekend! 29th – 31st January 2016

Catherine Deane12th – 14th February 2016

Flora Bridal19th – 21st February 2016

For now, though, let’s concentrate on Christmas (it’s the most wonderful time of the year).